Founded in 1991, EAQUALS is an association of language training providers aiming to promote and guarantee quality in language teaching institutions. In order to meet their aims,EAQUALS has established, published and imposed a set of necessary criteria on its members.

These criteria are registered in the form of charters:
– Code of Practice,
– Student, Staff and Information Charters (ISBN 88-900072-0-6), and supported by a thorough inspection scheme.

MEMBERSHIP:

Membership is open to public or private institutes involved in quality teaching of foreign languages or who are dedicated to excellence in their sector.

The three types of members :

– Founding member: These are the 10 institutes or organisations which are jointly responsible for the founding of the Association and which developed its structures and principles.

– Full member: To become a member, the language training institutes must prove their complete dedication to the Code of Practice and the Charters as well as being inspected every 3 years or more if necessary. Only institutes that have been successfully inspected can claim to be members and display the EAQUALS logo.

– Associate member : This category is reserved for organisations that are either very involved or interested in language training. Only available on invitation, the essential criteria for selection is a dedication to research and quality. Typically members include exam boards, publishers, national and cultural associations, etc…

THE GENERAL CHARTER:

The fundamental principles of the General Charter are the following:

– Excellent commercial relationships between clients, students and employees.

– No false advertising or false information given to the public

– Value for money

– Respect of the EAQUALS constitution
The Student and Staff Charters are described in more detail and they complete the General Charter which they are an essential part of.

STUDENT CHARTER:

Each accredited member is committed to providing quality services in all areas related to language courses. The main areas are: the teachers’ qualifications, experience and professional skills; learning materials and the organisation of teaching programs; the quality and suitability of the teaching environment; the provision of detailed and accurate course information. The complete Student Charter should be displayed in every school.

STAFF CHARTER:

This charter concerns the working conditions, duties and entitlements of the academic and non-academic staff when not already defined by national laws. The Charter requires the school to treat its employees fairly, in accordance with local norms, to have appropriate working conditions and to respect complaint procedures.
The complete Staff Charter should be displayed in every school.

INFORMATION CHARTER:

This charter guarantees that any information in the school, the school brochures, adverts or any other information sources are true, comprehensible and clear.